Kimberly here from Big Red Alpacas, checking out the new blog....just making sure even the challenged of us can access our fiber blog!!

Yes, along with Herb, I too am praying for rain. I have a 40# bag of "Custom Blend" for my alpaca pastures and no rain in sight to encourage it to grow... This could be good, it will keep me from seeding too soon, as I am want to do, however I am so busy with the show this weekend, the Northeast Alpaca Expo in Syracuse, NY, and the Washington County Fiber Tour next weekend...and family in town for the following weekend...that when will I have time to plant or water? And how do you water "pasture?" I think you just mulch like crazy and pray for rain and warm sun! I was really hoping to get it down and mulched this past weekend....hmmm...easy to make a plan, hard to keep to it!!

Big Red Alpacas has 16 alpacas...several of whom will be attending the show this weekend. Twelve of these 16 were shorn a week ago and have weathered the cold and rain, only to be baked out over the past 5 days...and inundated with a blackfly hatching. My partner, Carolyn, has pinned fly tape up all over to dissuade the little buggers.

The juveniles have moved up the road for "hardening off" from their moms....in preparation for show....I call it separation of stresses. They are lead training and bonding in the process. Hopefully, when they get into the trailer to go to the show, they are a little tighter and more confident group than they were a week ago!!

Please join Big Red on the Fiber Tour. We'll have alpacas, raw fiber, and handspun yarn on site as well as some extra activities for the kids. Hope to see you Mother's Day weekend!!